
Class 
Book 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



^L 



BUSINESS MAN'S 



ESTIMATE 



-OF- 



Santa B arbara 
County, 



CALIFORNIA. 






j 



By JOSEPH J. PERKINS. 

JULY, 1881. 

[COPYRIGHT SECURED.] 



SANTA BARBARA-. 

DAILY PKESS STEAM PRINTING HOUSE. 

1881. 



ANNOUNCEMENT. 



In the following pages I have endeavored to present, in a plain, 
business way — and in all candor withal— rny estimate of the C li- 
mate and of the Soils of Santa Barbara County, with a brief 
description of the five principal valleys, viz : SANTA BARBARA, 
(comprising three minor valleys,) LOMPOC, SANTA MARIA, 
LOS ALAMOS, and the SANTA YNEZ. 

I have aimed to present, also, some facts regarding the pro- 
ductions of this County, and I believe that if I have erred -and 
"to err is human" — it will be found to be on the side of con- 
servatism — understated rather than overstated. 

In addition to these, I have presented a complete list of all of 
the grazing ranchos in the County, showing their acreage and 
the quantity and kinds of stock maintained. 

I beg to acknowledge my obligations to the following named 
gentlemen, not only for the interest they have manifested in the 
preparation of these pages, but for their very valuable sugges- 
tions as well: Dr. L. N. Dimmick, Dr. J. B. Shaw, Rev. S. R. 
Welden, Thos. B. Dibblee, Esq., Col. W. W. Hollister, Messrs. 
Ell wood Cooper, J. W. Cooper, and G. W. Cofiin. Also to the 
following named gentlemen for much valuable information fur- 
nished: Messrs. E. J. Knapp, Q. N. Cadwell, and L. B. Hogue, 
of Carpinteria; Miguel F. Burke, formerly of Gaviota; Rev. J. 
W. Webb and G W. Frick, of Lompoc; W. L. Adam, H. J. 
Laughlin, and Phillips Brothers, of Santa Maria Valley; John S. 
Bell, of Los Alamos; Dr. A. F. Cliilds and W. L. Lewis, of the 
Santa Ynez Valley. 

JOSEPH J. PERKINS. 



Santa Barbara, Cal. 
July, 1881. 






y 




SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA. 

[LATITUDE 34" 26' AND LONGITUDE 119^ 43\ ELEVATION, 100 FEET.] 



INTRODUCTION. 



ferateiO much has been said and written of Santa Barbara as a 



m health resort, that it is almost impossible to say anything 
s\§§pp new concerning it, and therefore unnecessary, perhaps, to 
refer to it at all. Still, as this little pamphlet may fall into the 
hands of those who have not, as well as those who have, seen 
rmer and more pretentious publications, it has seemed to me 
that it might be regarded as less incomplete with a brief chapter 
upon the advantages of its climate. 

It is not my wish or purpose to sweepingly condemn the 
writings of others upon this subject — certainly not to impugn 
their motives — but I think it must be admitted by all who have 
resided in this county for any considerable number of years, that 
much which has appeared in print upon the subject of the cli- 
mate of Santa Barbara has been well calculated to mislead those 
living at a distance. I do not mean to say that the writers them- 
selves designed to mislead or misrepresent, but if such had been 
their design, they need not have chosen a different method. 

Now, how bas this come about? 

This rose-colored style of representing our climate has come 
about naturally enough, I think, and in this way: The advantages 
of a residence in this climate are so apparent, so great, so mani- 
fold, and the objections so inflnitessimal, that we are apt to con- 
sider only the former, and to the latter are utterly oblivious. For 
example: Santa Barbara has been described as a climate of 
"eternal sunshine" — at least during six or eight months in the 
year. And to the permanent resident it makes just that impres- 
sion. The daily rising of the sun without a cloud in the heavens, 



and continuing so all through the day, week after week and month 
after month, as has sometimes occurred, could make no other im- 
pression. Still, it is not true that this is a climate without fogs or 
clouds, or winds, even in summer. Some seasons we have many 
days when the sun's rays are obscured by what are termed "fog- 
clouds/" from which, though no moisture at all may be experi- 
enced, still the sun is obscured. We have also, and fortunately, 
low " wet fogs/' almost rain; at the very least, a heavy " Scotch 
mist !" I say fortunately, for they are an absolute necessity for 
the growth and the maturing of our crops. All cultivators of the 
soil in this county know how essential these fogs are to a plenti- 
ful harvest. If it be asked, "Are not these fogs detrimental to 
health ?" I answer, in some few cases they may be; the neuralgic 
patient may sometimes suffer some inconvenience from them, but 
as a rule, I do not believe they are injurious. And the simple 
reason is because they are very rarely, if ever, below a tempera- 
ture of 60°. For myself, I can truly say I have experienced no 
inconvenience from them, notwithstanding I came hither six 
years ago, with my throat and lungs in a very sensitive and. to 
my friends, an alarming condition. But the eastern visitor, 
especially the visitor from the north Atlantic coast, dreads a 
dense fog — I speak from experience — next to his Satanic Majesty. 
But a fog on the Pacific coast of Southern California is a very 
different thing from a fog on the Atlantic coast, that of the 
North Atlantic coast being so cold that it penetrates to the very 
bones and marrow of the human system, while that of the South 
Atlantic, by increasing the moisture, aided by the intense heat 
of the sun, produces a rapid growth and speedy decay of vegeta- 
ble matter, breeding that insidious and ever-to-be-dreaded 
enemy, malarial poison. 

Sunt a Barbara has never yet produced a malarial fever, so far as 
I have been able to learn. 

We have also an occasional dust or sand storm, i. e., a high 
wind, which fills the air with dust and sand; very disagreeable 
while they last, but they are of rare occurrence — not more than 
three or four a year, lasting from one to three days. 

Again: So much indiscriminate laudation of this climate has 
been sent broadcast over the country, that some who come hither 
for their health seem to expect more than an infinitely wise and 



—5— 

merciful Father intended to confer upon humanity, viz. : a sim- 
ply perfect climate or "cure-all" for each and every human being 
at the same moment of time, and in the same place, whatever 
may be his physical condition, calling, or profession, and if their 
expectations are not met, they condemn the climate and everybody who 
has spoken favorably of it. Now who is to blame? Much of the 
fault doubtless lies at the door of over-enthusiastic writers, but 
some fault lies also at door of the careless reader, who allows his 
own imagination to so overestimate the advantages of a particu- 
lar locality as to render him absolutely blind to all hints of the 
objections. But one of the strongest and most satisfactory evi- 
dences of the superiority of this climate is that you never hear a 
complaint of it from any one who has tested it for twelve succes- 
sive months. Speaking from an invalid's standpoint, I may be 
pardoned a personal allusion. I have already said, I came 

hither from the city of Boston, nearly six year's ago, in a very 
delicate state of health. About three years of that 
period I have devoted to the restoration of my health, 
living almost altogether, and sleeping much of the time, in 
the open air; exploring the canons, roaming over the foothills, 
through the valleys, climbing the mountains, fishing, shooting 
and, in a word, entering upon any out-door exercise that was 
calculated to withdraw my thoughts from my physical condition. 
I have traveled, on horseback and otherwise, from one end of the 
county to the other, over and over again, sleeping upon the 
mountain top, in the valleys or wherever night found me, with 
nothing but a pair of blankets and the canopy of heaven over me. 
The result is I have regained my health, and can now endure 
almost as much as ever. And now, after having tried the climate 
of Florida for two years, and that of Santa Barbara for six, I 
have no hesitation in recommending the latter heartily to all in- 
valids who have not passed that stage of debility beyond which 
climatic condition can be of no avail whatever. 



SANTA BARBARA 



AS A 



Sanitarium and Health Resort. 



<i|l§ iNTA BARBARA COUNTY is in the form of an irregular 

5S8! P ara ^ e ^°o ra,n ' seventy miles long, east and west, and 
i- ( ^pF thirty-five miles wide, north and south. (The direction of 
the coast for about 100 miles in this latitude lies almost exactly 
east and west, and is the only portion of the coast thus situated with 
a southern exposure.] It is surrounded by the sea and the moun- 
tains, those two great regenerators of the atmosphere. Ii pos- 
sesses a variety of climates, according to the elevation, proximity 
to the sea, shelter from trade winds, amount of rainfall, etc. 
The Santa Ynez range of mountains extends from the west to the 
east line of the county, and lies parallel with and only a few miles 
north of the southern coast. The long and narrow valley lying 
between this range and the sea — commonly called the Santa Bar- 
bara valley — is fifty miles long and from one to five miles wide. 
This valley is protected from the north and northwest winds, by 
the Santa Ynez range. On the south it is protected by the range 
of channel islands — about twenty-five miles distant from the 
shore- -rising to a height of 2,500 to 3,000 feet. Thus every 
breeze that strikes this happy valley comes either from the Pa- 
cific sea or the mountain heights. Here snow never falls, and 
frost is seldom seen, except in the lowest grounds. The tem- 
perature of January averages 53°, and of Jul} T 68° — onty 15° dif- 
ference. The Winter months average 54°, the Spring 60°, the 
Summer 68° and the Autumn months 63°. The average differ- 
ence between the temperature of the warmest part of the day and 
the coolest part of the night is only 12°. This uniformity of the 
temperature is due to the eqatility of the vast Pacific. If heat 
threatens, the sea breezes cool it; if wintry winds from the 
north invade, they are warmed by the inexhaustible stores of 



caloric in the ocean. The charm of the California climate de- 
pends upon the equanimity of the peaceful Pacific. 

Malarious Diseases cere unknown. Croup, acute bronchitis, 
cholera infantum and dysentery are very rarely seen. "Hay fever" 
is a malady never heard of here. In fact there are no endemic 
or epidemic diseases whatever. The relative humidity of the air 
averages 70. The average rainfall for the past few years 17 
inches. Roses, and such roses! bloom in the open gardens, with- 
out shelter, from January to December. 

The society of the city is excellent. There is as much 
culture and refinement to be found here in proportion to 
the number of inhabitants as can be found in any town or 
city in the United States. The public schools are under the 
superintendence of a gentleman of large experience as a teacher 
from Massachusetts, and are well sustained. There are also sev- 
eral private schools — notably, that known as the "Santa Barbara 
College." For the accommodation of the traveling public there 
are two excellent hotels. The "Arlington," situated in the upper 
part of the city, is distingnished as a family hotel, with broad, 
fine grounds and delightful surroundings. The "Morris House" 
is eminently a business house, situated in the business portion of 
the town, and is very convenient for business purposes. In ad- 
dition to these might be mentioned the following first-class 
boarding-houses: Mrs. Dugdale's, Mrs. Bronson's, Mrs. Wood- 
bridge's, Mrs. G-idding's and Mrs. Phelps'. 

The carriage drives in and around the city are interesting and 
thoroughly enjoyable. The beautiful, broad, hard beach affords 
one of the finest opportunities for pleasure driving to be found 
on the coast. But for the equestrians, both ladies and gentle- 
men, what shall I say? How shall I describe or even enumerate 
the different canons — the countless trails over foothills and 
mountains that have contributed so largely to the restoration of 
my own health, and added so much to my enjoyment! Along 
this narrow valley of fifty miles in length there are, running out 
laterally toward the mountain range, not less than twenty five to 
thirty canons, each differing from all the others in some impor- 
tant respects, and still possessing something of peculiar interest, 
some fresh surprise. Among these canons, the following are 
worthy of special notice: Franklin, Hot Spring, Cold Spring, 



—8— 

Sycamore, Mission, Seven Falls, Tebbetts', Arroyo Burro, Cathe- 
dral Oaks, San Jose, Smith's, Bartlett's, Glen Anne, Cooper's, 
Winchester's, Tecolote and El Capitan. In the Cathedral Oaks 
Canon, every real lover of nature will be forcibly reminded that 

" The groves were God's first temples." 

Then the mountain trails, leading: up the southerly slope of 
the Santa Ynez range, even to the very summit! How delightful 
they are! The mere mention of them recalls many a picnic, 
fishing, hunting, and exploring excursion. But I may not linger. 
So much for the advantages and attractions of Santa Barbara as 
a Sanitarium, for the guidance of those whose chief interest 
centres in the climate — who have "conquered leisure," and have 
ample means to gratify their tastes and inclinations. 

The remainder of this pamphlet will be devoted to the Soils, 
Agricultural and Horticultural valleys, and Grazing lands of 
the county generally, for the benefit of those who, whether pos- 
sessed of large or small means, are looking toward this genial 
clime with the view of establishing a home, and expect some 
fair returns from their investments. And first, the 

Soils of* Santa Barbara County. 

First, and best, are the Alluvial Soils. These are here, as 
elsewhere, generally low, level, deep and fertile; frequently from 
five to twenty feet in depth. When very deep, or underlaid with 
clay, it has great power for enduring drought. If underlaid with 
gravel at a depth of a few feet, it is of much less value. Easy to 
work, quick to respond with large returns to skillful culture, it 
is a source of constant pleasure to the horticulturist or farmer 
that loves his profession. Trees seem almost to laugh in their 
exuberant growth, while pushing down their long roots into this 
fat soil. It is from this mine that the Lima bean has sometimes 
drawn a hundred dollars per acre in a single season for the purse 
of its cultivator. Twenty acres of it will, with good management, 
yield a livelihood for a family. For large and sure returns this 
is the best soil we have. 

But other soils are valuable also. There are patches and tracts 
of alluvial land on the mesas, or uplands. These are sometimes 
nearly equal to the valley alluvials, and being dryer and less 



— 9— 

liable to frost, are for some purposes even better. There are 
many hillsides, especially the northern slopes, that, even when 
very steep, have deep, rich soils very much like the alluvials; 
but as they are apt to wash badly when freshly ploughed, need to 
be tilled with great care, or kept for forest culture and pasturage. 
It is on these fertile slopes, when removed a little from the sea 
and not too steep, that the best land is found for the olive and 
grape, though the latter should have a southern exposure. 

Other mesa lands and hillsides are of all grades, from worthless 
to very go>d. It is often impossible to class them, and it is often 
difficult for good judges to determine their value by any hasty 
examination. 

There remain the adobe soils. They are easily distinguished 
by the cracks and fissures that everywhere mark the surface when 
dry, and their putty-like adhesiveness when wet. They are 
usually black and very fertile. They are difficult to work with 
plows and other farming tools, but though unkindly for tillage, 
they are apt to be the best lands for barley, wheat and flax, and 
for pasturage are unrivalled. Though not yet fairly tested, there 
is reason to believe them superior for the apricot and tree-malva. 
This latter is a plant that promises to be of great value for for- 
age, find by its aid an adobe hill, now disfigured to the farmer's 
eye with worthless mustard, may be found to be our most valua- 
ble land, always excepting the unrivalled alluvial valleys. 

Before leaving the subject of soils, it may be well to consider 
for a moment the question frequently asked: " How do you ac- 
count for the wonderful fertility and enduring quality of your 
soils without the aid of the ordinary fertilizers ?" That question 
has been answered by a recognized authority substantially as 
follows: The fertility of the soil is owing in a great measure to 
the fact that the coast range of mountains is a Tertiary forma- 
tion. During the Tertiary period a warm and equable climate 
prevailed for a long period of time. It was characterized by a 
very luxuriant vegetation and a great development of animal life. 
The rocks and shales of these mountains are still rich in its re- 
mains. Shells of mammoth oysters and of smaller shell fish are 
abundant, as well as the remains of marine animals and of plant 
life. From the disintegration of these rocks with their organic 
remains has been formed the unrivalled alluvial soils that lie at 



—10— 

the base of these mountains. By reason of this origin they are 
charged with an abundant supply of the phosphates, sulphates, 
silicates and carbonates of lime, potash and magnesia,, all of 
which are necessary ingredients in a rich and productive soil. It 
has also been enriched by the decaying vegetation of succeeding 
centuries, so that it possesses a surplus of food for plant growth. 
The presence of dense thickets of almost impenetrable chaparral 
over large portions of the mountain sides, even to the very top, 
is evidence of its fertility. That the composition of the soil 
varies according to the rocks from which it originates, will be 
evident by comparing the productiveness of this soil with that 
formed by the decomposition of granite and gneiss, which consti- 
tute the chief material of the mountain ranges of the primitive 
rocks. The farmers of many localities in the New England 
States know by sad experience the poverty of such soils. 
I now propose a very brief description of all of the 

AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL VALLEYS 

within. Santa Barbara County, commencing with what is popu- 
larly known as the Santa Barbara Valley, lying between the 
Santa Ynez range and the ocean, and which contains three minor 
valleys, v'z. : Carpiuteria, Montecito and Go! eta. And first 

THE CARPINTERIA VALLEY. 

This valley lies due east from the cit}' of Santa Barbara, and 
about twelve miles distant. In area it embraces about ten square 
miles of very superior land, of three varieties — mesa, adobe and 
alluvial, the latter variety largely predominating. 

The mesa, or upland, is chiefly devoted to barlej', a little 
wheat, and pasturage, and is valued at five dollars to thirty dol- 
lars per acre. This class of land is also well adapted to grape 
and olive culture, but it has not been extensively used, the bot- 
tom lands, even at the great difference in price, being more re- 
munerative and hence more desirable. 

The adobe soil is not found here in any considerable tracts, 
but is met with in patches all through the bottom lands, and 
although difficult to work is very strong, and, when properly 
managed, very productive. 



—11— 

Last, the low, level, deep alluvial soil referred to in the former 
chapter is here found in rich abundance. I hazard nothing, I 
think, by saying that no more productive soil is found within the 
, United States. It will produce almost everything that grows in 
temperate or semi-tropical countries, and has a market value of 
$75 to $200 per acre, according to locality, condition, etc. The 
Lima bean crop of this valley alone has averaged for the past 
few years eight hundred tons annually, worth, delivered at the 
wharf, $60 per ton — yielding $48,000 per annum. The cost of 
producing the Lima bean is about the same per cental as corn. 
The chief products of the- valley are Lima, castor and other 
beans, corn, potatoes, squashes, flax, barley, and fruits in great 
variety, amoog which the following have been thoroughly tes ed, 
and are known to produce well and be of excellent quality, viz.: 
Apples, pears, peaches, apricots, nectarines, quinces, prunes, 
figs, olives, blackberries, strawberries, peanuts, and English 
walnuts. In addition to the above, the following have been tried 
with only moderate success: Grapes, plums, lemons, limes and 
oranges. The most notable fruit orchards in the valley are those 
of Mr. E. J. Knapp, Mr. E. H. Pierce, Mr. O. N. Cadvvell, Mr. 
Russell Heath, Mrs. Mary A. Ashley, and J. A. Blood. 

The valley has a population of about TOO intelligent, culti- 
vated, prosperous, conteuted people, for whose benefit and ac- 
commodation there are two churches, three schools, one general 
store, and an excellent wharf. The tendency in this valley is to 
small farms, a varied product, and thorough cultivation. 

Leaving the Carpinteria, and proceeding westward toward the 
city of Sauta Barbara, we come upon the beautiful valley of 

EL MONTECITO, (little forest,) 

Which is really a suburb of the city, and only four and a half 
miles distant. This valley is better adapted to horticulture 
than agriculture. It is emphatically a valley of homes, vines 
and tigs. No more beautiful homes and building sites are tu be 
found in Southern California. Here, the business men, capital- 
ists and others, have estabished beautiful homes, notable 
among which are the residences of Col. W. A. Hayne, I. R. 
Baxley, Esq., Judge E. B. Hall, Dr. E. W. Crooks, H. (J. 



—12— 

Thompson, Esq., O. A- Stafford and W. M. Eddy, Esq.,— the 
latter now owned and occupied by Edward Cunningham, Esq. 
and family, recently arrived from Boston, Mass. The triple 
view of mountain, valley and ocean from these homes is not ex- 
celled by any in Southern California. Here, too, are found the 
beautiful orchards of Col. Bond and Col. Dinsmore, in both of 
which may be found a good supply of oranges, lemons, limes, ap- 
ples, pears, peaches, apricots, nectarines, etc. The soil is most- 
ly light, dry and well adapted to fruit culture, but not to gen-' 
eral farming. In a canon leading from this valley are found the 
celebrated HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS. 

Leaving El Montecito and continuing our westward course, we 
come to SANTA BARBARA proper, the city of gardens and 
flowers, of evergreens and beautiful homes! I Jut we must move 
rapidly on over the western avenue toward Goleta. Two and 
one-half miles from the city limits we come to the Higbee fruit 
orchard, where may be found, each in their season, luscious 
apricots, peaches, pears, plums, and the smaller fruits. Five 
miles further on we come to 

GOLETA, 

Embracing about 2,000 acres of agricultural land, most of which 
is as rich and fertile as that already described in the Carpinteria. 
The same crops are here produced — Lima beans, castor beans, 
corn, potatoes, squashes, flux, barley, walnuts, peanuts, and a 
few almonds. Here, too, are found the most delicious fruits, 
*as apricots, peaches, pears and apples, all of which find 
a raady sale at the Santa Barbara Cannery. The value of 
land here is $50 to $150 per acre, according to location, quality, 
etc. -At this point are churches, school houses, postoffice, gen- 
eral store, and a lumber yard. 

Two and a half miles further on, or ten miles from Santa Bar- 
bara, we come upon the stock and fruit farms of Col. W- W. 
Hollister and Ellwood Cooper, Esq. The former embraces about 
3,600 acres of very rich valley, mesa and grazing lands. It has 
a frontage on the county avenue of one and'one-half miles, and 
extends back through Glenn Anne to the mountains — some three 
and one-half miles. On this rancho — so-called —is seen what 



—13— 

can be accomplished in fancy farming in a few years. Col. H. 
has spared no expense to thoroughly test the soils of the Santa 
Barbara Valley, and to determine by actual experiment the differ- 
ent kinds of fruits and shrubbery that can be most successfully 
grown in this county. The result is, you find here, growing 
luxuriantly, the orange, the lime, the olive and the almond; also, 
apples, pears, plums, apricots, figs, grapes, Japanese persim- 
mons, blackberries, Antwerp raspberries, etc.; five varieties of 
palms, including the date palm of commerce, the fan palm, and 
the native palm of the coast islands. Also a wide range of 
shrubs from South America, Australia, the Sandwich Islands and 
the Cape of Good Hope- 

Adjoining Col. Hollister is the justly celebrated rancho of Ell- 
wood Cooper, Esq. To Mr. Cooper belongs the credit of dem- 
onstrating that the culture of the olive in Santa Barbara, for the 
manufacture of olive oil — pure, unadulterated oil — can be made 
profitable. Mr. Cooper's rancho, or farm, contains about 2000 
acres, with a frontage on the avenue of about three-fourths of a 
mile. The farm is bounded — or fenced — with Eucalyptus trees, 
one hundred and fifty thousand of which Mr. Cooper planted 
with his own hands. These trees, in seven years, have attained 
a height of 50 ft. to 80 ft. But I will let Mr. Cooper speak for 
himself. In a letter of recent date he says: "In answer to 
your inquiries as to my success in farming and fruit-growing, I 
will briefly state that so far as my experiments have extended, 
the results have been satisfactory. The small grains — wheat, 
oats, barley and corn, have yielded per acre far beyond the crops 
usually obtained in the Middle and Western States — excepting 
that of corn. Last year my wheat crop — one variety gave sixty 
bushels to the acre, another forty. There is, however, a doubt 
as to the success in wheat growing in this county — f Mr. Cooper 
refers to that part of this county lying immediately upon the 
coast; the interior valleys produce as good wheat as can be grown 
in any country- J. J. P . ] — on accou n t of rust, but with rust-proof var- 
ieties which it is claimed we now have, and if proven to be such, 
wheat growing can be entered into with safety. There is no 
locality in the world where fruits can be grown with better re- 
sults than here. In my ten years' experience there has been no 
failures, and with proper cultivation there need be none. The 



—14— 

almonds have not. given crops equal to our expectations, but the 
trees are young, and perhaps ten years hence the average may 
be satisfactory. The English walnuts have done well wherever 
planted. I look upon the olive as the important tree for the 
sou' hern portion of the State, and it appears to me that no indus- 
try can be pursued with .such certain results as olive growing. My 
olive orchards are planted on five different soils; apparently all 
do equally well." 

Adjoining Col. Hollister on the east, and a little back from the 
avenue, lies the beautiful fruit and stock farm « f \V. W. Stow, 
Esq., of San Francisco, under the able management of his son, 
S. P. Stow, Esq, The farm consists of 1200 acres, as follows: 
650 acres pasture, 250 acres orchards, 200 acres farming, 50 acres 
timber, and £0 acres of waste. His fruit trees consist of 7,000 
almonds y years old; 4,3,0 English walnuts 3 to 11 years old; 
2,400 limes (Mexican) 6 to 8 years old; 3,100 sweet rind and Lis- 
bon lemons 3 to 6 years old; 100 oranges 8 years old, and 300 
apples and pears 5 to 9 years old. His stock consists of 120 head 
of cattle, 30 milch cows, 15 thoroughbred short-horns, 23 horsey, 
and 18 colts 6 months to 3 years old. But to be thoroughly ap- 
preciated this farm should be personally examined. Its farming 
land, fruit orchards, and stock — everything will bear close in- 
spection. 

What has been accomplished by Messrs. Cooper, Hollister and 
Stow in the three canons just described, can be repeated, with 
enterprise and means, in any or all of the canons along the coast 
line of the Santa Barbara Valley. 

But our course is still westward. Leaving the beautiful fruit 
and stock farms of Messrs. Hollister, Cooper and Stow, we 
hasten on toward the Gaviota Pass. On our way thither we cross 
the rancho Los Dos Pueblos, of which the farms just described, 
and Tecolote Canon- now the property of Sturgis Brothers — once 
formed a part. Los Dos Pueblos was originally patented to Mr. 
Nicolas A. Den for 15,534 76-100 acres, but the heirs of Mr. 
Den now hold only 8,285 50-100 acres of the original grant. It 
has a fine orchard of fruit upon it, but it is mainly devoted to 
cattle and horses, though some excellent barley is produced upon 
it. The next rancho is known as the Canada del Corral, contain- 
ing 8,875 acres, chiefly devoted to sheep. About midway of the 



—15— 

next rancho — Nuestra Seiiora del Refugio (Our Ladj^ of Refuge) 
— we come to the Gaviota Lauding, directly back of which is 
found the Gaviota Pass of the Santa Ynez range of mountains. 
A few miles beyond this Pass, at Point Concepcion, the coast 
line changes its direction from east to west to the north, thus 
bounding Santa Barbara County on the icest as well as on the 
south. Here (Point Concepcion) the Santa Ynez range of moun- 
tains, which has hitherto been our protection from every cold 
blast from the north, abruptly terminates in the Pacific. The 
valleys along this ivest coast are exposed to the full force of the 
trade winds, which supply the summer crops with much moisture 
in the form of fogs, principally at night. The climate of these 
coast valleys is cool and bracing, stimulating to labor during the 
day and promoting sound sleep at night. The interior valleys 
are less subject to winds, and have a much warmer temperature 
by day and cooler at night, and less moisture from fogs. 

But to return to the Gaviota. Here we change our course, (to 
conform to the changed direction of the coast line,) turn abruptly 
to the north, pass through the Santa Ynez range of mountains, 
coming out at Las Cruces, a little settlement with one store, 
postoffice, stage station, and a school house. But without halt- 
ing we push on, crossing the San Julian rancho — one of the 
finest grazing rancbos in the State — to the great 

LOMPOC VALLEY. 

For our present purpose we will consider this section, or dis- 
trict — popularly known as the " Lompoc Valley," and of which 
the town of Lompoc is about the geographical centre — to com- 
prise the whole or part of the following ranchos, viz.: Lompoc 
and Mision* Vieja, I'unta de la Concepcion, west half of Nues- 
tra Seiiora del Refugio, San Julian, Canada de Sal Si Puedes, 
Santa Rosa, Santa Rita, Mision de la Purisima, and the south 
half of Jesus Maria. Its shore line extends from La Gaviota 
Pass (or landing) westwardly to Point Concepcion, thence north- 
wardly .to Point Purisima, a distance of some thirty-seven miles. 
Unti! within half a dozen yeai'S ago the only use of all this sec- 

* As this word is chiefly used in connection with Spanish words and names in this 
pamphlet, the Spanish orthography is retained. 



—16— 

tion was the raising of live stock, and the only population con- 
sisted of the few herders and vaqueros necessary to look after the 
sheep and cattle The present population is estimated at about 
two thousand. The number of acres of arableland in this district 
is carefully estimated at 35,000. * Lompoc alone contains over 
one hundred and sixty farm tracts, many of which are now in 
cultivation. The chief products are wheat, barley, (chevalier and 
common,) beans, corn, potatoes, English mustard, flax, hogs, 
honey, butter, cheese, etc. The soil in this valley is as rich and 
productive as any in the county. But it cannot be denied that 
there is considerable disappointment expressed with the crops of 
this valley the present year. I have been at considerable pains 
to ascertain the true cause of the disappointment, and I am satis- 
fied, from the testimony of some of the most intelligent and reli- 
able residents of the valley, that it is attributable chiefly to two 
causes, viz. : Insufficient cultivation and late seeding. Scratch- 
ing the soil with a harrow or cultivator, or plowing two and a 
half inches deep, are not modes of cultivation calculated to pro- 
duce the best results. Nor is it wise to sow and plant late, rely- 
ing upon spring rains to produce a crop. Deep and thorough 
cultivation and early seeding will produce, in a series of years, as 
abundant returns in this valley as can be obtained anywhere. 

Three wharves — those of Gaviota, twenty-four miles distant 
from the town of Lompoc; Point Arguello, fourteen miles dis- 
tant, and Lompoc, at Pomt Purisima, thirteen miles distant — 
have been built within six or seven years to afford the facilities 
necessary for shipment of the products of this section. The 
grazing lands within the district are excellent, and there is still a 
very considerable business carried on in live stock, there being 
now maintained within the district named not less than three 
thousand horned cattle and over one hundred thousand sheep, 
the latter yielding annually between half a million and three- 
quarters of a million pounds of wool. However, the statistics of 
the various grazing ranchos, giving area of each, amount and 
variety of stock, will appear in another place. 

It should be added, before leaving this valley, that fruit cul- 
ture has not thus far been successful, the trade winds from the 
Pacific being too strong and constant for the healthy growth of 
fruit trees, except in the more sheltered portions. The value of 



—17— 

arable land in this valley ranges from $10 to $25 per acre for 
Mesa (upland), and $30 to $75 per acre for Valley, according to 
quality, location, cultivation, etc. 

Leaving the Lompoc Valley, or district, and continuing our 
northwardly course for thirty miles, we enter the northernmost 
valley of this county, the 

SANTA MARIA VALLEY, 

Embracing parts of seven ranchos, viz. : Cuyama (Nos. 1 and 2) , 
Suey, Tepusquet, Sisquoc, Tmaquaic, Punta de la Laguna, 
Guadalupe and Government lands (i.e. lands purchased from 
the United States Government). This valley proper is about 
twenty-five miles long by twelve miles broad, with the towns of 
Guadalupe at its mouth and Central City about mid-way, the 
former being the chief business place. The population of the 
whole valley numbers 1200 to 1300. It contains not less than 
sixty-five thousand acres of land adapted to cultivation. One 
resident of this valley says: "I may have underestimated the 
quantity of cultivable land (65,000 acres). Many here say there 
are nearer one hundred thousand acres that can 3 and wW . yet be 
put in cultivation '' Probably more wheat has heretofore been 
raised in this valley .than in all of the other valleys of the county 
together. 

The soil is deep, strong, easily worked, and produces bounti- 
fully when thoroughly cultivated. The chief products are wheat, 
barley, corn, beans, butter, cheese and wool. In 1880 the wheat 
and barley crop amounted to about six hundred and twenty-five 
thousand centals. The average yield of wheat per acre, on valley 
land, was twenty centals, (33J bushels) ; mesa land, seventeen 
centals, (28-J- bushels). Average yield of barley was: Valley land, 
twenty-five centals, (52 bushels); mesa land, twenty centals, (41 
bushels. These figures are confirmed by intelligent and reliable 
persons). It should be said, however, that the yield for 1880 was 
more than an average one, and more than could be safely calcu- 
lated on for a series of years, though the soil of this valley may 
be relied on for liberal returns when faithfully cultivated. 

The best valley land in this district can be bought in lots of 
160 acres and upwards at $20 to $35 per acre, with some improve- 



_18— 

merits. The mesa lands from $5 to $15 per acre, according to 
location, quality, etc. It will be observed that the prices of these 
lands are very low, when compared with their productiveness. 

The points of shipment for this valley are Point Sal and the 
Chute Landing, about fifteen miles distant from Central City. 
In addition to these, a railroad is now building, connecting the 
valley with Port Harford, via San Luis Obispo, a distance of 
about thirty miles. This railroad will be completed in time to 
remove a portion of this year's crop, and next season it will be 
extended to Los Alamos. 

The ranchos comprising tha two districts already described lie 
either along or very near to the coast, and are regarded as coast 
vallej's or districts, though the last named extends fully thirty 
miles into the interior. We now turn our attention to the 
interior valleys. Leaving Central City, and moving in a south- 
easterly course for a distance of eighteen miles, we enter the 

LOS ALAMOS VALLEY. 

This district comprises the following ranchos: La Laguna, 
Los Alamos, Todos Santos, north half of Jesus Maria, Casmalia, 
and adjoining Government lands, i. e. lands acquired from the 
United States Government, and the hill-lands of Point Sal. It 
should be observed that although this valley is regarded as an 
interior valley, the district does, nevertheless, touch the coast, 
two of the ranchos, Casmalia and Jesus Maria, lying immediately 
upon it. Still the larger portion of the valley and the town of 
Los Alamos lie back from the coast twenty-five or more miles- 
Strictly speaking, it might be described as a long narrow valley 
lying between the Lompoc and Santa Maria Valleys. The Los 
Alamos Valley is drained by the arroyo of that name. It extends 
from the San Rafael range to the Pacific ocean, a distance of 
some forty miles. In its broadest part it is not more than two 
miles. It has some-fertile valleys opening into it, and both sides 
have a very large area of .low, rolling hills of the richest soil. 

Between four and five years ago the cultivation of wheat was 
commenced with such success that now a quarter part of the val- 
ley is under grain. Last year the foothills were experimented 
upon, and with such good results that this year a very much 



—19— 

larger area was put in, and they now vie with the valley proper. 
"The yield of wheat last year in the whole valley by the threshers' 
returns, was one hundred and fifty 1h>u&and centals, and it is ex- 
pected this year's return will be nearly equal to the last — per- 
haps not in average per acre, but on account of the larger acre- 
age sown. The soil of the valley is rich adobe loam, and rich 
sandy loam, with occasional spots or patches inclining to a 
shaley character. The arroyo of Los Alamos, from which this 
district derives its name, flows the whole length of the valley 
from the mountains to the sea; the greater part of the distance 
on the surface, but for short distances it sinks below the upper 
stratum, and wells are necessary for domestic supply. At a 
depth of 8 to 20 ft. water of an excellent quality and sufficient in 
quantity is always obtainable. There is no necessity for irriga- 
tion, except perhaps for trees for the first year. 

In this district corn and beans have to be planted late, say in 
May, to avoid any chance of frost touching them. Max and 
hemp grow luxuriantly here, and as soon as means are provided 
for utilizing the fibre as well as the seed, will no doubt prove 
very profitable. There is a great abundance of wood, which is 
most desirable, as the nights are particularly cool during the 
winter and early spring. 

It is estimated that there are in this valley or district 35,000 
to 40,0o0 acres of agricultural land, most of it especially adapt- 
ed to wheat, barley, corn, flax, hemp, etc. Perhaps prices can 
hardly be said to be regulated, but the range is from $10 to $35 
per arce for tracts of 160 acres, according to location, soil, etc. 

There are three' or four schools in the valley so distributed 
that children are never so fur off as to preclude a regular attend- 
ance. 

The town of Los Alamos has a postoffice, a fine school house, 
a good hotel, two or three stores, a first-class flouring mill, John 
S. Bell, Esq., proprietor, blacksmiths, carpenters, and everything 
necessary for a growing and prosperous place. 

The shipping points are Lompoc, 25 miles; Point Sal, 25 miles ; 
and the Chute Landing, 22 miles distant. 



—20— 

The next and last valley or district that claims attention is the 
justly celebrated valley of the 

SANTA YNEZ. 

This valley takes its name from the river of that name, which 
flows in a course almost due west from the Los Prietos y Nujala- 
yegua Ranches to the west coast boundary of the county, empty- 
ing into the Pacific a few miles north of the town of Lompoc. The 
ranehos assigned to this section or district are those located on the 
upper portion of the Santa Ynez. Those located farther west, and 
near its mouth, are included in the Lompoc Valley, or district. 
The names of the ranehos included in the Santa Ynez district are 
San Carlos de Jonata, Corral de Quati, La Zaca, extension of La 
Laguna, Canada de los Pinos (College ranch), San Marcos, 
Tequepis, Los Prietos y Najalayegua, Las Lomas de la Purifica- 
cion, Nojoqui, Las Cruces, and Government lands, i.e. lands 
acquired from the Government at Mision Santa Ynez, comprising 
an area altogether of about 223, 185 acres. Of this large area it 
is carefully estimated that not less than 50,000 acres are adapted 
to agricultural and horticultural purposes. The balance is de- 
voted to grazing purposes. The narrow valleys, of which there 
are many in this district, are especially adapted to the raising of 
hogs, there being plenty of excellent water, and the yield of 
corn and barley is said to be exceptionally large. 

Some of the best lands for dairy purposes are also found in 
this district, the grazing lands being excellent, and the Santa 
Ynez river and the numerous creeks that empty into it furnishing 
an abundance of pure, sweet water. Only a small portion of the 
tillable land of this district was cultivated in 1880, but many 
fields of wheat yielded from 30 to 50 bushels (not centals) to the 
acre, perhaps an average of 30 bushels. Barley yielded equally 
well — both of the finest quality. No rust or blight has been per- 
ceptible in this section. 

The horticultural capabilities of this district are believed by 
some to be equal to any portion of the county. Apples, pears, 
peaches, quinces and the small fruits thrive well, and on the 
foothills grapes are 8 a perfect'isuccess. All that fruit trees re- 
quire here, as elsewhere, to make rapid growth and come to 



—21— 

early maturity is thorough and persistent cultivation of the soil, a 
simple enough condition, certainl}'. 

The Rancho Canada de los Pinos, (College Ranch) in this dis- 
trict, has been subdivided into small tracts, and these tracts are 
offered for sale at from $6 to $14 per acre, part of purchase price 
down, balance on time at a low rate of interest. But it should 
be remarked that this seductive practice of offering large 
tracts on "easy terms" frequently proves to be anything but sat- 
isfactory. Better buy less in quantity, pij for it, and depend 
upon thorough cultivation for large returns, than run the risk of 
losing the whole, by trying to grasp too much. There are those 
who conscientiously believe that this will be the most popu- 
lous part of the county at no very distant day. The point of ship- 
ment for this district is G-aviota. an average distance of 17 to 18 
miles from the wheat fields. 

We will now turn our attention to the grazing ranchos of the 
county. It should be observed that the agricultural portions 
of these ranchos are included in the estimate of agricultural 
lands in the valleys or districts of LOMPOC, SANTA MARIA, 
LOS ALAMOS and SANTA YNEZ; still it is believed that a 
complete list of all the ranchos in the county will be of interest 
to strangers and valuable as a reference to all. 

The table on the following page gives the name and acreage, 
and so far as possible, the amount and kinds 'of stock upon each 
rancho in the county, March 1, 1881. 



w wm * 



-22— 



GRAZING RANCHOS 



-IN- 



SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. 



Names of Ranchos. 



Lompoc and Mision Vieja de la Pur- 

isima 

La Espada y ) Forming Puntade la Con- 
El Cojo, J cepcion 

West % Nuestra Seiiora del Refugio 



San Julian 

Canada de Sal Si Puedes. 



Santa Rosa 

Santa Rita 

Mision de la Purisitna (Malo) 
South % Jesus Maria 



*Cuyania Nos. 1 and 2 "] m 

*Suey I yg 

Tepusquet | g-S- 

Sisquoc . \ «•* 

Tin .quaic I £'" 

*Punta de la Laguna | f* §_ 

*Guadalupe J £' 



North % Jesus Maria "] y 

La Laguna | £■ £ 

Los Alamos \ 3- g ^ 

Todos Santos | S'o 00 

Casmalia J .=* " 



a 



San Carlos de Jonata ~| 

Corral de Quati 

La Zaca 

Canada de Los Pinos 

San Marcos 

Tequepis 

Los Prietos y Najalayegua 

Las Lomas de la Puricacion 

Nojoqui 

Las Cruces (two leagues) j » 



East % Nuestra Seiiora del Re-] >t) 

fugio I g% 

Canada del Corral ! ,*. *°. S 

Los Dos Pueblos 1 ^O^ff 

Los Positos y La Calera 



Pj B5 

B 



Santa Rosa Island. 
Santa Cruz Island . 



J 



3 W 



Acres. 



48,499 04-100 

24,992 04-100 
13,'265 

48,221 
6,656 21-100 

16,525 55-100 
13,316 05-100 
34,012 56-100 
20,000 



2:23,487 45-100 



71,020 75-100 
48.834 

8,900 
35,4«5 90-100 

8,874 60-100 

26,648 42-100 

43,68 ' 85-100 

243,4.5 52-100 



Cattle. 



950 

1,400 
Stock in 
Julian. 
575 
Stock in 
Julian. 
78 
50 

200 



Sheep. 



2,000 



eluded 

64,703 
eluded 

17,000 

8,000 
4,000 



3,253 



3,000 

200 
660 

1,200 
300 

1.500 



22.184 93-100 
48,703 91-100 
48,808 38-100 
20.772 17-100 
8,^41 21 -100 

149,3 5 60-100 



,634 31 
322 29. 
458 10- 
499 
573 10- 
919 
728 67- 
341 39- 
,•284 



100 
100 
100 

100 

100 
100 



208,647 86-100 



13,264 

8,875 
15,534 76-100 

3,281 70-100 
62,696 49-100 
52,760 33-100 



156,412 2s- 1 00 



6.S60 



300 

250 
500 
200 
150 



1,400 



100 
Stock incl 
1,114 
300 
Stock incl 
Stock incl 
200 
1,000 
1,315 
100 



4.129 



2,500 



95,703 



250 

4,200 

500 

4,000 

5 000 



18,950 



6,000 

10,000 

25,000 

3.000 

6,000 



50,000 



1,500 

uded with 

3,400 

2.000 

uded with 

uded with 

None. 

3 000 

5.950 

5,900 



21,750 



22,200 

29,000 
27,000 



2.500 



78,200 



Horses. 



500 



40 
with San 



with San 

20 

200 

50 

20 



837 



40 

200 

19 

60 

300 

800 



919 



20 

100 

LOO 

50 

25 



495 



100 

Lift AjSCiI. 

20 
50 

Nojoqui. 

Nojoqui. 
20 
10 
88 
50 



338 



520 

100 
100 



■20 



* Portions of the Guadalupe, Punta de la Laguna, Suey, and the Cuyainas extend into 
San Luis Obispo County, but the full acreage is given here as represented by Hie U. S. 
patent. 



■23- 



RBOA.PITULATION. 



Valley, or District. 



Lompoc Valley, or District 

Santa Maria Valley, or District 

Los Alamos Valley, or i 'istrict... 

Santa Ynez Valley, or District 

Part of Santa Barbara Valley and two of the 
Channel Islands 

Grand Totals 



Acres. 


Cattle. 


Sheep. 


228,487 45-100 


3,253 


95,703 


243,445 52-100 


6,860 


13,950 


149,305 60-100 


1,400 


50,000 


208,647 86-100 


4,129 


21,750 


156,412 52-100 


2,500 


78,200 


981,298 93-100 


18,142 


259,603 



Horses 

817 
919 
495 
338 

720 
3,289 



The above figures may be relied on so far as the acreage of the 
ranchos is concerned, at least. The number of sheep is approx- 
imately correct, but the numbers of horned cattle and horses are 
in many instances only estimates from the best data at hand. 
Still it is believed that even these are reasonably correct — cer- 
tainly not in excess of the number owned by the residents of the 
county. The reader will notice that in a few cases there appears 
to be a great disproportion between the acreage of the ranchos 
and the amount of stock represented. The explanation in such 
cases is that the ranchos have a large amount of valley or other 
lands adapted to special or general farming, and large portions 
are so appropriated. I recall at this moment but two exceptions, 
viz.: — the Cuyamas and the Los Prietos y Najalayegua. During 
the past six years I have personally visited not only the several val- 
leys or districts described herein many times, but nearly all of the 
several ranchos, of which these districts are composed, except the 
(Juyama, Nos. 1 and 2; and I am bound to say that, I do not 
know of a more healthful or delightful locality for any one thor- 
oughly in earnest in his calling — whether it be stock-raising, 
wool-growing, fruit-culture or general farming — than Santa Bar- 
bara County. For one inclined to pastoral pursuits these grazing 
ranchos especially, present very great attractions. " 

With reference to the market value of these grazing lands it 
must be remarked that there is a wide difference in quality and 
a correspondingly wide range in prices; say $1 per acre for poor 
$2.50 for good, and $4, or even $4.50 for very superior. And 



—24— 

the highest price i. e., the very superior quality, frequently 
proves to be the cheapest in the long run. 

Of some grazing lands three acres would be required to main- 
tain a single sheep. Of a better quality two acres might be 
found amply sufficient, and of a very superior quality a single 
acre might afford more and better pasture than the three acres of 
the lowest grade. The range may be said to be $1 to $4 per 
acre, according to quality, kinds of grasses produced, water, etc. 



CONCLUSION, 




p NE of the primary objects of this pamphlet would not be 
| accomplished if I should not endeaver to answer some of 
the many specific questions touching Santa Barbara, that 
have been propounded in letters from the East. 

Hundreds of letters of inquiry from all parts of the country, 
and from all classes — lawyers, merchants, artisans, farmers and 
pleasure-seekers — are received in this city every year. From 
the large number that have come to my hand, I have selected 
one, written by a gentleman in Missouri, who may, I think, be 
regarded as the 

Champion Interviewer. 
His inquiries are unique, comprehensive, and direct. I sub- 
mit his letter, verbatim et literatim, with the view of placing his 
questions clearly before every interested inquirer, and answer- 
ing them in all candor, as best I may: 

April 11, 1881. 

Sir: — You will excuse the liberty we take in taxing your time, but 
we ask you to be so kind as to answer the following' questions con- 
cerning your county and country: 

What is the population of your county seat and county? What is 
the character of the population? Native or foreign? What national- 



—25— 

ity the foreign? What are the politics of the county? What de- 
nominations or churches? What part protestant ? What schools? 
What prevailing diseases is the county subject to ? Character of soil? 
What principal products ? Prices and sizes of tracts of land for sale, 
improved and unimproved? What kind of buildings generally built ? 
Of what material? Prices of lumber, brick, and stone? Size of val- 
leys? Do you farm by irrigation? When do you sow wheat and 
plant corn, and what time mature? Yield per acre? What kind of 
fuel, wood or coal, used ? Water — springs, living wells or cisterns ? 
Price of lots in the county seat, improved and unimproved? What 
hind of place for business ? Cost of living ? Prices of staples — flour, 
meat, sugar and coffee, etc. ? Wages — skilled and day laborers ? What 
railroad and pro <pects? The kind of stock raised and prices ? Farms 
enclosed? Of what material are fences, lumber, rails, wire or stone ? 
Have you much rain? Do you have failures of crops ? Storms, earth- 
quakes? What proportion of lands can be cultivated? What will be 
rent of property suitable for home of a family ? What do business 
houses rent for ? Is business overdone in the county seat? Have 
you any fruit canning establishments in the county se^t? Much fruit 
raised and what kinds? Is your county in debt? Are taxes high? 
Have to feed stock in Winter? What are the prospects for an attorney? 
How many courts per year? How many attorneys in county seat? 
How many in the county ? Answer will greatly oblige those who con- 
template emigration from this county. 

ANSWER. 

The population of county seat 4000; whole county 11,000 to 
12,000. Three-fourths American; one-fourth Spanish. Politi- 
cally, the county is Republican by a small majority. All denom- 
inations are represented among our churches — three-fourths 
protestant. The public schools of the city are under the super- 
intendence of a competent gentleman from Massachusetts, and 
are well sustained; in addition to which, there are several pri- 
vate schools, prominent among which is the so-called Santa Bar- 
bara College. There are no prevailing diseases in the county; no 
malarial poison whatever. The soils are: First and best, the allu- 
vial, generally low, level, deep and fertile. Second, the adobe, 
difficult io work, but very strong and productive when properly 
cultivated. Third, the mesa, or upland soil — light, dry and 
well adapted to wheat, barley, flax, vineyards, and fruit trees. 
Principal products are barley, wheat, corn, potatoes, Lima 
beans, castor beans, flax seed, mustard, apples, pears, apricots, 
peaches, prunes, limes, lemons, oranges, grapes, wines, dairy 
products, wool, stock, etc. 

Mesa or upland soil, from $5 to $50 per acre, according to lo- 



—26— 

cation, quality, etc. Valley land $25 to $200 per acre, accord- 
ing to location, quality, etc. 

Tracts for sale of all sizes from five acres to forty-five thousand 
acres. Valleys from half a mile square to 14x30 miles. Build- 
ings are generally of wood — pine and redwood. Common lum- 
ber $27.50 per thousand, bricks, $7 to $8 per thousand. 

No irrigation in this county for general farming. Sow wheat 
and barley as soon as the rains come, say, middle of November 
to middle of January; sometimes later. Harvest in May and 
June. Plant corn in April, harvest it in September and October. 
Yield, say 45 to 50 bushels on the average per acre (shelled.) 

Water from mountain streams, springs and living wells; the 
mountain streams emptying into the Santa Barbara valley are 
generally charged with a small amount of carbonate of lime, 
which makes the most healthful drinking water known. 
. Town lots 50x100 feet up to 450 feet square, range from $75 up 
to $6000 or $7000, according to location, etc. Business now 
active and generally satisfactory. The depression of the past 
three years has pretty generally disappeared. 

Cost of living as low as in any place in the United States. 
Flour, $5 to 5.50 per barrel. Beef, pork and mutton, 10 cents 
per pound at retail. Skilled labor, $2.75 to $3.50 per day; 
day labor, $1.50 per day; by the month, $20 to $35. 

Railroad prospects good. Stock consists of cattle, horses, 
sheep, hogs, etc. Beef cattle, worth, say $15 for yearlings, $25 
for two-year-olds, $35 for three-year-olds, or $5 per hundred 
dressed. Horses, $25 to $250. Sheep $1.25 to $2 per head. 

A very few farms are fenced, boards and posts generally used. 
The "no fence law" so called, is in force in this county, which 
provides that every owner must keep his stock on his own graz- 
ing lands, by means of herders or otherwise. In 1864 there was 
a total failure of crops. In 1877, about half a crop; all other 
seasons good. Probably in no place in the Union can crops be 
relied on with greater certainty than here. 

We have no severe storms. No earthquakes! no thunder! no 
lightning! no sunstrokes! Average rainfall, 17 inches. 

Dwelling houses within the city rent for $10 to $40 per month, 
unfurnished. Furnished houses from $20 to $75 per month. 
Stores rent from $20 to $35 per month, according to size, loca- 



—27— 

tion, etc. Business offices, $5 to $25 per month. Business is 
not overdone in this city or county. 

We have a first-class fruit cannery, where upwards of thirty 
tons of apricots have already been canned this season. Quite a 
large quantity of fruit is now raised, and preparations are now 
making for a large increase. Thirty thousand trees have been 
planted since January last. Many more than that will be "put 
out" next season. 

No cdy debt at all! County debt about $63,000. Taxes, in- 
cluding State, County, City, etc., about 2J per cent on a very low 
valuation. 

Stock is not fed at any season of the year! 
Prospects for an attorney depend altogether upon the attor- 
ney — brains are always in demand. There are now thirteen prac- 
ticing attorneys in the city, nineteen in the whole county. Under 
the new Constitution we have but one Court of Record, viz. : the 
Superior Court, in which is merged the business of the old Pro- 
bate, County and Circuit Courts. It is supposed to be always 
open for business. 

Now, to sum up, what conclusions may be fairly drawn from 
the. foregoing chapters? Perhaps it is not for me to say. My 
hope is, however, that the candid reader has concluded, 
FIRST — That we have here, not "eternal sunshine," but with 

our superabundance of sunshine some foggy weather. 
SECOND — That we have some few cloudy days even in summer 

— not a great many, but still, some. 
THIRD— That we have an occasional dust or sand storm, lasting 

from one to three days — perhaps three in a year, on the 

average. 

FOURTH — That notwithstanding these few drawbacks the cli- 
mate of Santa Barbara — especially south of the Santa 
Ynez range of mountains — probably has no superior on 
the globe! (The truth is, all of these drawbacks are 
not equal to one severe storm on the Atlantic coast.) 

FIFTH — That the valley land of this county is as rich and strong 
and as productive as any in this country. 

SIXTH — That the soil here, as elsewhere, requires patient and 
thorough cultivation in order to produce the best results. 



—28— 

SEVENTH — That the market value of lands in this county are 
as reasonable in price — their productiveness and access- 
ibility considered — as can be readily found anywhere. 
EIGHTH — That the valleys or districts described in the upper 
part of the county— LOMPOC, SANTA MARIA, LOS 
ALAMOS and SANTA YNEZ— present to the enter- 
prising immigrant who wishes to engage in wheat raising 
or general farming unusual attractions. 
NINTH — That this city is a city of beautiful homes and flower 
gardens, of churches and schools, of culture and refine- 
ment. 
If these are fairly deducible from the foregoing pages, then 
my time has not been altogether misspent. But notwithstanding 
the advantages of this wonderful climate and the productiveness 
of the soils, let no one imagine that success in special or general 
farming, stock-raising or wool-growing can be achieved even 
here without effort. The Divine sentence, <l In the sweat of thy 
face shalt thou eat bread," is in force here as elsewhere. But 
this I do say in all candor, that with the same ECONOMY, 
INDUSTRY and ENTERPRISE that are practiced at the east, 
equally satisfactory results can be obtained HERE, with not 
more than TWO-THIRDS of the hours of hard labor. 



^ 



—29— 

JOSEPH J. PERKINS, 



(Formerly of BostJ:i, M;:.s.,) 





Commissioner in Santa Barbara to take Affidavits, Ac- 
knowledgements, Depositions. Etc., for MASSA- 
CHUSETTS, NEW YORK, PENi\SYL- 
YAKIA, ILLINOIS, OHIO and 
MISSOURI. 



Real Estate bought and sold on Commission. 
Furnished and Unfurnished houses for sale and to 
lease. 

Improved and Unimproved farms for sale. 

Insurance affected on Growing Crops, Grain in 
Stack, Sack, and Storehouse, and on Business Prop- 
erty, Merchandise and Dwellings. 

Money to Loan on first-class Real Estate and Per- 
sonal security. 

Deeds. Mortgager Leases, Contracts, etc., care- 
fully drawn. 

Property of non-residents carefully looked after, 

TAXES PAID, etc. 

Letters of inquiry (inclosing stamps) promptly and 
candidly answered. Address, 

JOSEPH J. PERKINS, 

P. O. BOX 89, 

SANTA BARBARA, 

CALIFORNIA 

$3r"This pamphlet will be mailed (post-p^id) to any one inclosing 
Twentv-live Cents to the above address. 

[OVER.] 



•30- 



APICULTURE. 




jN consequence of the general desire for information touch- 
ing the "Bee Industry," as indicated by numerous in 
quiries, I have obtained for the exclusive use of this pam- 
phlet the following communication on the subject. This article 
was prepared by one of the most intelligent and reliable apia- 
rists in the county, and may be regarded, I think, as a candid 
presentation of the subject — indicating somewhat its present 
development and future possibilities: 
Mr. Joseph J. Perkins: 

Dear Sir: — In response to your request for an article on bee- 
keeping, I would like to give you a little history of its progress 
in Santa Barbara County since bees were first introduced here. 
Its vicissitudes have been many and varied, it having passed 
through the ordeal of haps and mishaps usual to the early his- 
tory of almost all business ventures, and it stands to-day on a 
substantial basis of success, and an assured prosperity Hav- 
ing no data, however, while at my apiary to guide me in such 
an interesting research, I shall be obliged to confine myself to 
such matters as I apprehend will be of interest or instructive to 
any who may contemplate embarking in the business here. I 
will simply say in passing, that bees were first introduced into 
this county as early as 1860 or '61, by Mr. — Miner, who imported 
some eight or ten swarms, which he readily disposed of for the 
modest sum of $50 per swarm. Mr. Miner is also credited with 
having built the first frame house in Santa Barbara — northwest 
corner of Montecito and State streets. To Mr. Jefferson 
Archer, however, belongs the credit of being the pioneer 
bee-man of Santa Barbara County. Coming here in December, 
1873, and bringing with him about forty-five stands of bees, he 
was the first to engage exclusively and on an extensive scale, in 
apiculture in this county. Since Mr. Archer demonstrated 
that this county was eminently adapted to honey-raising for 



—31— 

profit, many have followed in his footsteps more or less exten- 
sively and with varying success, and this interesting and profit 
able industry has been gradually extended until, with the close 
of the season of 1880, there were about 3,300 stands of bees in 
the county, which had yielded a product of rather more than 
128 tons — (256, OoO lbs) — of extracted honey. 

That portion of Santa Barbara County adapted to profitable 
honey-raising, compared with the extent of territory devoted to 
this industry in some other counties is limited, but the quality 
of its honey is unsurpassed, and while great advancement, both 
as to the amount of product and methods employed in the api- 
ary have been made since apiculture became a recognized indus- 
try in the county, there is yet ample scope for much greater 
extension. From the easternmost border of the county to its 
extreme western limit, honey-producing plants abound in pro- 
fusion, upon the scarred and rugged face of every mountain and 
throughout the length and breadth of nearly every canon, while 
upon every plain and in every valley, the giad humming of the 
"busy little bee," eagerly searching for nectar in the myriads of 
flowers there in bloom, makes glad the heart of the apiarist. 
The mountain redwood, the black ball sage, sumac, grease wood, 
coffee berry, etc., each in its proper time, furnish abundant 
honey during the "building up" or brood-rearing period in the 
Spring,. but it is chiefly from the bloom of the sage family — the 
A. nivea (button sage) and the A. polystachya (white sage) that 
the bulk of the honey crop is secured. These bloom pro- 
fusely, and yield large quantities of honey from about May 1st 
until August 1st, during which time the entire honey product of 
the county is harvested. To persons with limited capital, who 
are not averse to dwelling amid the solitude of i:he mountains, 
and who can bring energy, perseverance, and good judgment to 
their assistance in the undertaking, apiculture offers large in- 
ducements. The possibilities in apiculture are immense, while 
the average profit. on the capital invested, considering the amount 
of labor and time necessary to be applied in securing a crop, is 
greater than in many of the more pretentious industries of the 
county. A profit of 400 per cent on the investment has been re- 
alized from an entire apiary, while even a larger interest from in- 
dividual swarms is by no means uncommon.. I have no desire, 



—32— 

however, to give the impression that apiculture is one of tie 
greatest bonanzas in the hind, but wish it to be well understood 
that a very fair profit may reasonably be expected by any one 
.applying intelligently the latest improved methods if manipula 
tion. Bees may be purchased in the winter and spring at prices 
ranging from $2.50 to $6 or $8 per swarm, and material for hives 
may be purchased at the planing mill in Santa Barbara cut and 
ready to nail together for 50 cents each. With a fair to ordinary 
season a good swarm will yield from 150 to 250 pounds of ex- 
tracted honey, worth last season about 6 cents per pound net in 
Santa Barbara. Besides the yield of honey, a good swarm of 
bees will increase one or two swarms in a season, while instances 
are not rare of a swarm — with its earliest increase — producing 
as many as five and even ten swarms in a season, to the infinite 
delight of the amateur apiarist. The following statement will 

give a better idea of what may be accomplished in this business 
with a very small outlay of capital: 

Apiary debtor to one swarm bees }•" 00 

To one hive (all made) 1 00 

$ 6 00 

Credit- 
By 1)0 pounds of boney at 6 cents net $9 00 

One swarm bees 5 00 

$14 00 

A net profit, at a very reasonable estimate, of $ 8 00 

Or 133^ per cent on capital invested--a very fair profit. 

But like all other California industries dependent upon the 
rains for success, apiculture is subject to occasional drawbacks. 
An insufficient rainfall, though perhaps stimulating plants to put 
forth the usual amount of bloom, lessens the quantity of honey or 
curtails it altogether, while a general drought affects bees as dis- 
astrously as it does sheep, cattle, or any other stock. The latter, 
however, is fortunately of rather infrequent occurrence, thereby en- 
abling an apiary to recuperate from its destructive influence. Much 
of the success of apiculture depends upon the method or system 
employed in marketing the product; but as that subject does not 
properly come within the scope of this article, I will leave it, and 
simply suggest that a closer acquaintance between producer and 
consumer will conduce to larger profits on aparian investments; 
and more syste natio and united efforts on the part of the apiar- 
ists of the county to properly grade and market their honey, will 
tend to unprecedented apicultural prosperity. 

GEORGE A. TEMPLE, 

Queen City Apiary. 

jSee pages 34 and 35 for temperature tables.] 



■34- 



AVERAGE 




Number of clays clu 



ring which the temperature fell below 48 or 
rose above 88 degrees. 

1830. 
4 days. jlO^days.l 8~days. r - L day. 




2H (lays. 18 days. 



Average below 43 deg., 17 days j above 83 deg., 8% days. 




SO n T: 3; & - 1 jT '— 1 < — 4- ■ i t^ t_» "— ■ Lt "— - 



—35- 




rtENT OF THE CONDITION 



-OF THE 



•hi[a Aim&ji Rational 




m CLOSE OF BUSINESS JUNE 30, 1881. 






RESOUKCES. 

$ 77,757 11 

s 90,000 00 

Bonds 11,937 50 

ure and Fixtures 6,205 26 

■aid 1,016 99 

vith U. S. Treasurer 1,350 00 

iks , . .. 33 ..903 47 

50,987 63 

$273,157 96 

LIABILITIES. 

$ 50,000 00 

4,525 62 

3,029 24 

215.003 10 



$273,157 96 

d. Cashier of the above-named Bank, do solemnly 
oing statement is true to the best of my knowl- 

E. S. SHEFFIELD, Cashier, 
orn to before me this 11th day of July, 1881. 

Joseph J. Perkins, Notary Public. 



Eddy, 

> WARDS, 

I UNTER, 

Directors. 



